need help to bid a fence

[krpalex 14]

I need help on bidding this fence and deck, the fence is 345 linear ft. x 4ft. tall, both sides, I explained to the customer that my process was to strip/brighten/seal and he said all he wants is the most efficient way to do it and I told him if I do a half way job then the results will be half way. So it is about 2760 sq.ft. The deck is a 10 x 10 and has 13 steps and one decking board needs to be replaced. It has been quite a while since anything has been done to it.

[krpalex 14]

adding pics

[Deck Guy 14]

I may get crucified here for suggesting this, but I bid fences (and have only done a few) using time and materials vs. the sq. ft. method I use for decks.

Why?? Because I can flat-out move on some fences, and my deck pricing would be ridiculous given the total sq. ft. of some fences. I'm not sure about time on this one though. If you're talking clear sealer, OK, but if you're talking anything with color to it, those spaces between the boards are just enough to make you crazy, and have to work quite a bit harder. BTW, I never recommend clear sealer to my customers. I figure they will just call and complain next year when the deck/fence turns grey again.

So I would just figure the hours I need times my hourly expectation ($75), plus materials for the fence. Price the deck as always. Don't be surprised when the guy says, "I thought you could do the fence for a couple hundred bucks!"

[Don M. 14]

If your not careful you can lose your arse on that fence. The first fence I did I thought I could do with 6 gallons of stain. It took 13.

Be careful.

[plainpainter 217]

Why would you strip and brighten? Just get a good bleach mix and clean the fence and rinse, rinse, rinse. There doesn't seem to be any previous product on that fence. I know some guys here love to apply the strip, brighten and stain procedure to fences that just have greyed wood and algae. But if this customer wants a reasonbly priced job - go with a efc-38 clean and then stain. That's what I would do with my own fence - perhaps it's more professional to apply the same process to just greyed wood as you would to failing semi-trans stains. But come on - vertical wood surfaces have very long lasting finishes with even the most basic prep procedures.

I'd love someone from here to 'split' a deck in half - one half clean with efc-38 or similar product, the other half - use a caustic cleaning solution like F-18, then balance with citralic/oxalic acid and then stain stain both sides and see if there really is a difference in longevity over time. This is just for decks with greying wood/algae/lichen/mildew - no old sealer product.

[Deck Guy 14]

Good Point! I don't use caustics unless I have to remove a previous finish. And that was even before learning the Gospel of BDA!

[John Orr 206]

Hard to tell from the picture, but it does appear that there may be an old stain.

On "just old and gray/green" fences, I downstream my stripper, clean with less than 1000 psi, then neutralize. If stripping - I charge $1.25/ln/ft per side. Otherwise, $1/ln/ft per side. Remind the customer that there are two sides plus the edges and the top that will be cleaned. In general, fences take me 45 min to an hour per 100'. 10% off fences if the customer has other cleaning scheduled for the same day.

[Deck Guy 14]

John, you and I are very close on all figures you quoted above.

[bigchaz 157]

John is that your price for just the cleaning? Or does it include staining? Materials extra?

[John Orr 206]

John is that your price for just the cleaning? Or does it include staining? Materials extra?

No, staining is the same cost as cleaning - plus the stain.

[seymore 90]

I need help on bidding this fence and deck, the fence is 345 linear ft. x 4ft. tall, both sides, I explained to the customer that my process was to strip/brighten/seal and he said all he wants is the most efficient way to do it and I told him if I do a half way job then the results will be half way. So it is about 2760 sq.ft. The deck is a 10 x 10 and has 13 steps and one decking board needs to be replaced. It has been quite a while since anything has been done to it.

Clean and seal $2100

:EDIT i didn't see the walkway so that depends how much of the walkway is near the fence so that's an extra $150 to protect = Total $2250

[MMI Enterprises 289]

John,

May I ask what product the customers usually opt for and how do you figure or quote to customer the product usage amounts?